"Why do we have to ""measure"" engagement, first? How can HR persuade executives on this? Hello, We are preparing a presentation for executive committee regarding employee engagement survey. We expect several questions will come out from the executives after our presentation, and one of them will be ""Why do we have to spend our money in ""measuring""? We already know what our issues are, so we can just start to solve the issues..."" Can you please give some advice on this? Why do we have to ""measure"" engagement first? How can we persuade HR executive who think they already know their engagement issues?"

My very strong advice is that you should not be making a presentation on ""employee engagement."" You should be making an engagement on ""increasing productivity"" or ""retaining critical talent"" or ""minimizing unproductive performance."" Identify the potential bottom line impact; then move to proven causes of that and how those can be dispersed across the organization and not always visible. Then, move to how through research/diagnosis (i.e., measurement) you can locate their presence, measure their amplitude and develop prognoses for correct action. This positions you as a business partner. The former positions you as a typical HR lexicographer.

Without measuring, I would make the case that you will be simply treating the symptoms(issues) and not the 'disease'. By not measuring to identify the root causes of the issues, you will most likely end up wasting a lot of time and money in the long run. Organizations can use employee engagement as a strategic tool. As employee engagement can be broadly defined as employees consistently acting in the best interests of the organization, it can be linked to critical outcomes including absenteeism, turnover, customer satisfaction, operational performance, and financial performance. Employee engagement is a vital driver of an organization's bottom-line performance.

Agree with both clinton and gregory - but you have to present bottom line impact. Link engagement with performance (that is measured on meeting business goals)... If an employee knows what is expected of them, and understands the link with their performance and business strategy, you will have greater engagement. You will have higher performance levels, and more likely to meet business goals..and greater profit. The cost of turnover, for example, can be quantified in dollars - measureable. Low turnover is a symptom of lack of engagement - a cost that can be reduced with better engagement. You have to present a strong link to bottom line - use the dollar costs that we can measure and link to engagement.

Absolutely - but you also have to show bottom line impact to top level managemet so that they see a reason to spend resources on measurement. Hence clintons comment about being a strategic business partner is pertinent.

Alyson...agreed wholeheartedly. I have a few nifty powerpoint slides I just used about engagement ; nice pictures, quotes from Gallop, Watson, and others,..all about monetary reasons for engagement. Send me a note and happy to share

Without measurement who knows really what is occurring. They may feel they
know but it is subjective.
Measurement provides more objectivity and gives the organisation a clear
idea of what and where to plan and control for.
The elephant story comes to mind where 4 blind men where told to identify
the elephant. The first one touched the ears and said this is some sort of
fan, the next one touched the trunk and said this is some sort of a tree
etc the point is none of them could see the whole elephant
Measurement ie data collection gives the opportunity for benchmarking and
progress on solutions. If you don't measure the starting point how can you
objectively measure progress, and how do you know when you have got to the
end result, how do you know what you have missed.
From measurement comes planning based on some evidence and from planning
comes direction, tracking, control and cost analysis for any interventions

Scenario has changed. People's requirements have changed. Life style is changing. Employees aspirations are changing. Employees qualities are changing. Work place are changing, and many more.

We need to measure, we cannot have a laid back attitude. Any organization who will not change as per the environment, hope it will not survive. Think of Piramal Health Care. How it growing post selling itself to ABBOTT. Today's new Piramal has purchased DSR of US. It has been changing it measures as per the time, for the employees.

Charan SINGH

Answered

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ClintonWingrove

May 20, 2012 02:57 PM

lmy0512777

I have a spreadsheet that enables you to calculate the actual cost of current engagement levels, and to predict the savings that can be realistically achieved by taking action to address shortfalls in engagement.